


the stars are better off without us

by aislingthebard



Category: Mass Effect: Andromeda
Genre: F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-28
Updated: 2017-10-12
Packaged: 2018-09-20 10:14:17
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 16
Words: 8,041
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9486788
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aislingthebard/pseuds/aislingthebard
Summary: Just some collected drabbles of the Ryder twins. Angsty, silly, fluffy. Most stuff is pre-Andromeda





	1. a drink

“A week left, big brother.” Juniper raised her glass. Sitting there, offered a view of the whole Citadel. Well, most of it, but they didn’t need to complain. Millions of people gathered on a single space station. The sight had always impressed her. Now more than ever before. Spending years with studying the Protheans had felt almost isolated and Juniper loved the constant noise of a huge population, the murmurs of multiple races, the heat and lights.

She pressed her back against the wall and swallowed her drink. It tasted sharp and like fire and she started to cough, while Scott laughed.

“Here is to us. Heroes of a new galaxy.” His eyes didn’t water and Juniper bumped her shoulder against his.

“Shit. What is that?”

“Got it from a Krogan.” Juniper fought against another shudder. 

“Yeah, maybe we shouldn’t drink this then.” She’d heard enough gruesome tales of Krogan alcohol and what it did to sickly and weak humans. Full nights of forgotten embarrassment. At least, Scott would protect her from jumping naked into some Asari fish pond. Hopefully.

“Are you afraid of going blind?” Scott wouldn’t meet her eyes and his smile seemed merely superficial, but lately he’d been full of them.

“A bit. Can’t disappoint dad.”

“Sure. Been there done that.” To be fair, they both had. But try living up to the name of Alec Ryder, famed war hero, genius scientist, always on an adventure, never staying with them for long. He sure had tried to be a better father, even succeed at times, but in the end they had to follow his orders.

Juniper grabbed the bottle and hope that they could use the drink to drone out the sadness. 

She refilled their glasses. “I drink to that.”

“So, we’re going back tomorrow. Last shore leave for a long time. Not sure how to feel about it.” They’d been born here. Amidst the rush of the Citadel and it’d be strange to leave all of that behind. Juniper already missed the clubs and the dirty back alleys, the cheap food at some corner store.

“Are you scared?” She looked at her brother, who, maybe for the first time in his life, looked kind of small, almost vulnerable. 

“A bit.”

Juniper took Scott’s hand. “Me too.”


	2. snowball fight

“Don’t you dare.”

Scott dared.

And a snowball exploded in her face. 

Juniper squeaked, as the ice started to melt and crept beneath her clothing, making her shiver all over. Goosebumps covered her body and she put up a biotic barrier, to protect herself from further snowy projectiles. 

That meant war.

Her brother laughed, already forming another weapon and his smile very bright.

“Your reflexes suck, dearest sister.”

Juniper showed him her middle finger.

“You’re over.”

Landing on a planet full of ice and snow hadn’t been their wisest idea yet, because wildlife seemed non existent, neither did they find any kind of plant, but beneath tons of ice secrets were hidden, and well, they hadn’t had a snowball fight in ages. So, it basically felt like a win – win situation, even with the rest of the crew shaking their heads and taking bets on who was going to win. As always, Liam put his money on Juniper, while Cora seemed inclined to rather trust in Scott’s abilities.

Another ball hit her shoulder. The time for revenge was now. Juniper used her powers to form a huge snowball, sending it directly into Scott. He ducked, but wasn’t quick enough. Snow got caught in his hair and face and she heard him laugh.

“Nice try.”.

“Yeah.”

Scott tried to throw her off balance, but Juniper was used to it. Born highly competitive they’d fight this out til one of them gave up. It almost reminded her of better childhood days, back when artificial snow covered the grounds of their home and when pressure didn’t try to drown them in responsibilities and training.

Soon snowballs flew through the air, hitting, missing. Both twins seemed agile enough to attack and defend themselves and their biotics surely helped waging this war, but with the match being this even, no one was going to win or lose. Juniper’s cheeks looked red and her hair wet and plastered to her scalp. Her breathing formed grey clouds and she felt her heart beat hard beneath her suit. Scott didn’t look much better with his disheveled appearance and the cold was getting to them both.

He raised his hands. “Lets settle this face to face.”

“Agreed.”

Juniper left her cover, so did the Scott. And then he wrestled her to the ground. Her brother used his height and weight to his advantage, but she was quick enough to counter his attacks. Especially, as Scott tried to shove a fistful of snow right into her face. With a swift change of her position, she put him on his back, covering him in snow. Victory seemed close, but her brother pushed her yet again and she fell face first into the cold. For a second, she lost her breath.

“Shit. I yield.” Juniper coughed and wasn’t surprised to taste snow on her lips.

“I yield. Shit.”

Scott pulled Juniper into a hug.

“Glad that you’re finally seeing reason.”

Juniper tried to hide her smile beneath a pout. “Dick.”

“I love you too, June.”


	3. christmas

“You know that it doesn’t snow in space?” Scott didn’t look impressed with her choice of festive fashion. Well, maybe she’d gone a bit overboard with the sweater, which showed a red-nosed reindeer and snowflakes, but it felt all warm and snug and comforting on a station, which relied on artificial air and heat.

So the best course of action was to ignore Scott and wrap it around her neck.

“Doesn’t matter. It’s Christmas.”

Even as a child, she’d spent hours with researching old Earth’s traditions and when religions and cultures slowly melted together, Christmas lost most of its influence, but the pictures looked strangely charming. Whole landscapes covered in snow and people gathered around cups filled with hot chocolate, decorated tree and bright stars, gifts, sugar canes. It filled her with longing and sadness and some sort of peace. Not that heir father would’ve allowed such a celebration. Softness wasn’t welcome.

Scott touched her scarf, fingers following the delicate stitching. 

“Christmas is outdated.”

“Don’t be such a grump. I still like it.” Juniper shrugged and put a pair of antlers atop of her head. “For the whole aesthetic.” She kissed Scott’s cheek and pushed him aside to get to her locker.

“I also have something for you.” Juniper pressed a wrapped something against his chest and a faint smile appeared on his face.

“More stones?”

“No. Better.” Not that pretty stones would ever become boring. Not in her world.

“Open it.” 

He cut the ribbons and raised a brow. “Oh, a scarf. Color me surprised!” Akin to her own, it was made of soft, thick wool and showed a group of dancing reindeer.

“Yes! But isn’t it lovely?” Juniper was swift enough to grab it and put it around Scott’s neck, before he could start to think about protesting, or escaping her cheer.

“Merry Christmas.” She pulled Scott into a hug and Juniper could hear the laughter in his voice.

“Merry Christmas.”


	4. bathrobes

@spaceryder I need help – Junex

Juniper typed in the address and suppressed her shivering. The night was getting cold. Fast. A silken bathrobe didn't offer much in terms of protection against wind and a light rain. She tried to fasten its belt and felt goosebumps covering every inch of her skin. Her hands were bound in tight cuffs. Angling for her phone and actually typing out the message to Scott had cost her much of her energy. Juniper tried to open them with biotics, but it was half past four in the morning and she hadn't slept for over 30 hours now. She simply had no strength left. Sighing, Juniper sat down on the bench and hoped that losing the feeling in her naked feet wasn't something to worry about.

Darkness tinted the sky and she watched the thousands of light, which swallowed the stars. The tower seemed the uncrowned king of the city, hovering about any other building and offered a garden, a green place of peace and comfort admits their hectic and strict lives. And well, her. Not that Juniper had planed on spending the night out there in the freezing cold. The handcuffs seemed broken and the door to the lower levels was blocked with some stupid security shit, she'd been able to hack with her fingers fully functioning.

It didn't take Scott 20 minutes to get here and his face spoke of concern, maybe a dash of anger.  
“Shit. What happened. You're fucking cold.” He put his jacket above her shoulders and tried to make sense of the situation. Juniper's throat felt dry. She hadn't been this close to crying for a long time. Had to be a symptom of hypothermia and tiredness. Juniper's stomach growled, as if to remind her that she also needed something to eat very soon.

“Long story. Could you maybe get me out of this?” Juniper held up her arms and showed him the cuffs.

Scott groaned and started to tinker with the device. It beeped, flashed red, than blue. They came away with a click and a small cloud of smoke. Rubbing her wrists, she tried to get the blood flowing again. Blue and reddish lines were already covering her skin. Juniper would slap some medigel on it and hope for the best. Appearing in class with such an injury raised questions, she wasn't ready to answer.

Her brother looked pale, with bruises beneath his eyes. “Lover?”

“Yes.” Juniper pressed her lips together. Not any longer. While the evening had started out pretty good, ending on a rooftop in a thin robe and handcuffed wasn't her idea of a good time. Kinks or not, she longed to unleash her powers on that guy. Maybe he'd even enjoyed that. Bastard. Never trust a guy, who had too much money and connection to famous mercenary groups.

“Do I have to kill him.” Scott didn't joke. Not about that and Juniper wrapped her arms around him. He was blissfully warm. 

“No. I'll do that.” At least, spank him with a biotic whip. 

“Lets get out of here and grab something to eat. Being a knight in shining armor always makes me hungry.”

Juniper followed Scott and hope to find her clothing on the way down. Last she'd seen it in a vast bedroom. “Yes. It'll go on my tap. You can have everything you want, dear brother.”

“The last you can do.” Scott chuckled. Maybe he already planed to simply order everything at their favorite 24/7 place.

“We'll also not tell father anything.” Conversation with Alec Ryder were frustrating, heated, devoid of warmth. She shuddered to think about even explaining such a nightly escape to him. Thankfully Juniper could always count on her brother. 

“My lips are sealed.”


	5. a call

Juniper looked at her reflection. Would Scott recognize her with the shorter hair? Probably. It’d been one of the first things she did on Mars, chopping it off and enjoying a life without tangles.

She chose his contact from her omnitool, opening a small screen atop of her arm.

“Scott! Can you see me?” The sight of her twin’s face made her laugh and Juniper held her arm close to her face. 

“I can! And damn, got a haircut?” Scott sported a buzz cut, which suited him pretty well. 

“Totally. How do you like it?”

“Well, it’s something new. Dad will hate it.”

“My whole point!”

“Tsk tsk.”

“And I need less time in the shower.” Scott shook his head and she could see someone walking behind him. Being stationed near Arcturus station meant having little to no privacy and sharing a bunk bed. They’d been divided for two months now and it still felt awkward and strange. Spending your whole childhood together, learning and training, even fighting, and suddenly there are a million miles between yourself and your brother. 

Scott seemed to notice her silence. “So, how is Mars?”

“Fantastic. I can’t even begin to tell you everything… wait …” She went around and offered Scott a look through her windows. Red earth until a flat horizon and an orange sky.

“The red planet in all its glory. See those tall tower thingie? Prothean! I’ll send you the details later. They’ll probably bore you to death, but if you ever have problems sleeping just read them.”

Her brother laughed and his picture flicked for a second. Hopefully the storms would wait, until they had said goodbye to each other. “Shit, so you’re really digging through dirt and enjoying it?”

“A LOT. I’ve found…” Juniper took a huge red crystal from a shelf. “This beauty just yesterday. Gorgeous isn’t it?”

Scott tried to stifle another laugh, because he’d never understood his sister’s obsession with geology. “I guess so? How is everyone? Nice team?”

Juniper sat down on her bed. “Oh yes! We have bi-weekly team evenings. The lot of us drinking and cooking together and getting to know each other. To be honest, I’m still a bit overwhelmed. Like we got some super important Asari scientist here with us?”

“Is she cute?”

“Very much. I’ll send you some pics later. We also got a very friendly Salarian team around us and one grumpy Turian.” There was still distrust, but living at such close quarters made it impossible to ignore each other for long. The scheduled meetings helped, too.

“And the humans?”

“The same as always. Once they hear my name, they go all ‘OH! You are the daughter of Alec Ryder!!!!! WHAT AN HONOR!’ and my eyes roll back into my skull.” Juniper hated it. The long shadow their father cast on their lives. They couldn’t escape him.

“If anyone is giving you trouble, I’m going to punch them.” She stuck out her tongue.

“Thanks, but I can handle myself.” Juniper bit her lip. “And there may be someone?”

“Ha! I knew. You never stay alone for long.”

“It’s nothing serious.” But without Scott at her side, she felt even more alone than usual and somehow had to fix that. 

“It never is. Tell me about her? Him? It isn’t the cute scientist?”

“No. She’s far too old for me.” And probably too smart.

Scott raised his brows, lifted one corner of his mouth. He knew that age didn’t matter that much to his sister.

“Brother, stay on the topic for one second. He’s an engineer and I’ve met him in the mess hall during lunch a few days ago.”

“A-ha.”

“And he’s funny and kind and he’s also helping me with my tech skills.” She’d seldom met anyone, who offered such a wide variety of interests. He fit her like a glove.

“Juniper?” Scott almost whispered, leaning close to the screen.

“Yeah?”

“Take care of yourself, little sis.”

“I promise.”


	6. death

Juniper screamed. 

Her voice sounded hoarse and used. Blood dripped on her cheeks and the red clouded her sight. Sizzles of biotic energy held her together, helped her survive another attack. She was running low, though. And the attackers wouldn’t stop. Another wave of gunfire and growling. No way out and half of their team lay on the ground, not moving, of no use. She hid behind a large container and hope for a few seconds of catching her breath.

And her brother. Shit. Shit. Juniper crawled and reach for him. “Grab my hand, Scott.”

His armor was scorched and torn into pieces. One of his legs looked really bad and a pool of blood had already gathered beneath him. Scott’s skin seemed pale. Dark circles made his eyes even brighter and he tried to smile against the hurt in his body.

“You have to go, June.” Juniper felt the tears and dirt on her cheeks. She was too numb to care for them any longer. They couldn’t die. Not here. That hadn’t been the plan. Another shriek tore through the chaos and she took his face in her hands, kissed his brow.

“I won’t leave you. Never. Don’t you dare to think about it.”

“We got no chance against this. Everything went wrong.” Arrogance had been their downfall. They’d been too sure of themselves, too eager to impress and create a name at the side of their famous parents. And now they would die without achieving anything. What a silly fate. Juniper would have laughed, if her throat hadn’t been as dry and swollen.

“Scott. No.” Juniper grabbed his hand and his fingers were so so weak. No trace of her strong brother, who trained with the best of the best.

“Remember when we used to dream about our big adventures? Riding the stars? Reality sucks, sis.” Another laugh and blood on his lips. Dread made her forget her own fear. Scott was a part of herself. The second half to her own being. She couldn’t survive without him. Didn’t want to. Living a life without her brother seemed impossible.

“Scott.” Juniper put his head on her lap, touched the strands of crusted hair. She cried for the both of them and held his hand and ignored the battle. They were lost anyway. No help on the way and no way out of it. 

Scott licked his dry lips. “Go.”

“No.”

An explosion. 

And they screamed.


	7. morning jog

“Juniper? Are you in? You missed our morning jog.”

Shit. Scott? She rubbed her eyes and tried to take a closer look at her alarm. The red digits sure flashed a bright 7:21, which meant that she had totally overslept. Why hadn’t her omnitool woken her up? It was her backup for the actual alarm clock. The Initiative didn’t take lightly to missing your daily sporting events, including the jogging. Running to nowhere was pretty high on her dislike list, but Alec Ryder wanted his children to succeed and not to become slobs. Their mentors had probably already send him a message about her not being there on time and nothing about that improved her mood.

Juniper lifted the blanket, but an arm surrounded her waist, kept her close to a warm body. Someone nuzzled her neck.

“Ugh. Elon move.”

He was still here. Normally he’d leave somewhere in the middle of the night. They’d shared some sour Batarian wine the last night, though, and those always got straight to her head and morphed her limbs into useless things. Not to mention that kissing made her feel less lonely at times.

“Why?” He pressed his hands against her stomach and drew her close. In such close proximity it seemed easy to recognize that he was clearly as naked as her and not willing to let that go unnoticed. Under normal circumstances Juniper would’ve welcome his methods of making her stay at his side, but Scott knocked again. 

“My brother is outside that door.” And probably ready to punch everyone, who he deemed not worthy enough of Juniper’s affections.

“Shit.” Ah. So this got to him. Wouldn’t be the first time, those two clashed. Being with an Andromeda Initiative instructor broke a lot of rules and she didn’t care all that much, but she valued Scott’s opinion and shit, her head started to hurt.

“Yeah. Move. Don’t make me use my biotics.” Elon removed his arm and rolled to the side, which gave her the freedom to free herself from the blanket. Juniper heard him groan. Well, she wasn’t the only one nursing a headache then.

“Coming. Gimme a minute.” Showering would’ve to wait til later and she felt a bit gross looking for some fresh clothing and trying to bring order to her hair. Her room didn’t offer much in terms of luxury but a high end coffee maker. She grabbed a cup and closed the door behind her, not wanting Scott to have a look inside.

Her brother smiled. Wearing his jogging clothing, he looked like the posterboy for the whole thing. “Let me guess? Night guest?”

“Come on, Scott. We don’t have time for this.” He didn’t move. Just stood there with his arms crossed in front of his chest and that smile, which looked far too bright for an early morning. 

“So, am I right?”

“Maybe.” Juniper took a sip of coffee and got moving. The whole area was already busy with humans and asari starting their daily tasks. Scott followed her quickly.   
“You’re horrible.”

He put his arm around her shoulders. “And you love me.”

“Not right now.”

“Ah come on. Don’t hurt my feelings.” Scott’s quick peck on her cheek made her a little less angry and she shook her head.

“I won’t.”


	8. new friends

“It’s far too early for this.” Juniper yawned and watched Scott trying to rub the sleep out of his eyes. Lights lit the whole complex, while the artificial sky seemed dark and filled with stars. She just wasn’t made for waking up and getting ready for whatever in the middle of the night.

Training or not.

“Everything is always far too early in the Initiative.” Scott didn’t look much better. All dark circles beneath his eyes and pale skin, too much scruff on his cheeks. 

His shoulders made a crunching sound, as he tried to ease the tension of of them.

“True. Though, I wonder what’s the fuss is all about. Better has to be something important.”

“Probably just a stunt to hone our skills and concentration.” Juniper rolled her eyes and took a closer look at the rest of the soon to be space explorers. Some of the faces were unknown to her. People of different ages and backgrounds and probably all hand-picked by her father. She met Elon’s eyes for a moment, before looking away, and trying not to raise her brother’s suspicions.

“What do you think about Liam?” Scott pointed in the direction of a new face. 

“He’s cute? A bit young perhaps.”

Her brother laughed. “He’s older than you, June.”

“You know what I mean. He’s all about shining heroism and being a good boy.” He was handsome. Yes, but she hadn’t talked that much, just the usual greeting, training together, and Liam appeared completely devoted to the cause. On the other hand, Juniper nursed her bitterness and many forgotten dreams.

Scott poked her side. “Ouch.”

“Just saying.”

The topic became less interesting to him then and her brother leaned closer to whisper in her ear. “Remember when dad made us go up at like 3 am? To ensure our physical fitness?”

She did. The drills. The daily tasks, the decisions about their future and his long absences. “Ugh. Yeah. Great idea to do that to 10 year olds.”

“Shht. There he comes. The old man himself.”

Alec Ryder had gone almost completely gray. His stance, his whole demeanor demanded respect and spoke of his serving history and him being a natural leader. He didn’t need to raise his voice to make himself heard.

“The Andromeda Initiative isn’t about conquering, neither about killing, or violating the terms of a fragile peace. We’re explorers. We want to find a new home for humanity with diplomacy and offerings of cooperation.” He held his arms behind his back, looking straight ahead. 

Juniper would’ve loved to punch the smugness of out his face.

“Nevertheless we got some powerful biotics amongst us and we need to train all of you in self defense. So, welcome our newest addition and my new second in command…” Alec stepped to the side to reveal the slight figure of a woman.

“Cora Harper.”

Juniper put her elbow in her brother’s side, already sensing his thoughts.

“Scott, no!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this is the time for notes? Idk, if this is actually happened in canon *haha* time to go wild, I guess.


	9. issues

“They can all just kiss my ass.”

Juniper slammed her fist against the wall. Blue energy surging through her veins and skin broke on her knuckles.

“Juniper, calm down.” Elon put his hands on her shoulders, trying to give her comfort, but she shoved him away.

“No. I’m done with this shit.” She smeared blood over her Andromeda shirt and groaned as she saw the mess. Juniper needed to slap some medigel on it. Perhaps later. Right now, her fingers shook and she ran through Elon’s quarters.

“I’m done with living father’s life. I didn’t want to be a part of this any more. I’m sick and tired of the training and the fucking rules.” And the punishments, if you didn’t follow them strictly. Sure, only the best of the best were invited to even join the Initiative, but it meant giving away a part of your personality, denying yourself thing you enjoyed and cherished. Juniper missed crawling through some Prothean ruins and searching for a clue, a special information about the long dead race. 

She’d felt like some kind of caged beast for quite some time, now.

Elon held his arms crossed in front of his chest, quietly watching her stroll up and down. “I’m going to brew some tea and then we’ll sit down and talk this through.”

Juniper clenched her fists. As, if tea would help matters at hand. 

“He separated Scott and me. Send us to the different ends of the galaxy and now we’re going on some kind of suicide mission to further fulfill his ego.” At least it allowed them to be together. 

“I’ll ask Scott, if he wants to just run away. You can come, too.” The Galaxy was big enough. They had to find a home somewhere really far away from their father and his ego. 

“I don’t think that he’ll warm up to that idea. Especially the later part.” Juniper vividly remembered Scott punching her lover on different occasions and even keeping them sedated wouldn’t offer a solution to their general dislike of each other. 

Juniper slumped down on the couch. “Doesn’t matter anyhow. He’s far too dutiful.”

“As are you.” Elon handed her a steaming mug of tea. It smelled like the real deal and like a part of her childhood. Even though, it had to be some dried, artificial herbs and fruits.

“Yeah, try being raised like us.”

That was a low blow. Elon stemmed from a spacer family. Growing up as lonely and isolated, as Scott and her. Always on the move and trying to fit in, but he didn’t say anything, just sat down at her side and putting an arm around her shoulder.

“We really should take a look at your hand. You’re getting blood all over my precious furniture.” Juniper’s fingers looked small compared to his scared hands.

She raised a brow. “It’s like plastic.”

Elon smiled and kissed her wrist. 

And for a moment, everything seemed alright.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Elon Miller is an OC, which kinda stole my heart? Idk why. I wanted to have a romantic interest for Juniper and well, there he sneaked his way into the story. He's an engineer and mentor at the AI and like 25 years her senior, but they've met during her days as a researcher


	10. omega

“So, what’s the deal with you, Juniper Ryder?” Elon leaned back, his eyes filled with the red lights of the club. Dull music sounded in her ears and she had to concentrate on his mouth to hear his words. Omega. Worst trash of the galaxy and yet the perfect distraction from their daily routine. Half of her team danced or drank and she and Elon sat at a corner table. Blissfully ignoring other guests. 

Juniper watched one of the dancers for a few seconds, before answering. “The deal?”

Elon chuckled and she enjoyed the sound, deep, rumbling. It raised goosebumps on her back. They’ve been knowing each other for a while now. Brought together by an Earth founded research program on Prothean data and happily traveling from backward planet to backward planet. All lead by Jinanze D’Ysean, a famous Asari scientist, who currently got rather close with their Drell. 

He chucked down the contents of his drink, eyes never leaving hers. “Yeah like, you’re young, you’re smart, good with guns, better with biotics, and yet you chose to stay with this ragtag team of scientists and adventurers, digging holes into dirt to search for the artifacts of a long dead race.”

She smiled and found herself getting warmer, both a result of his praise and the alcohol. “What can I say? Always loved a challenge?”

Not to mention her curiosity. Juniper would never have turned down an opportunity like that. Travel the galaxy and get paid for it? Count her right in!

Elon raised his brows. “And to get as far away from your home as possible?” 

Shit, well. Obvious much? Juniper shrugged and showed her empty glass to a waitress. Hopefully she’d returned quickly. “That too. I miss my brother, though. He’s stuck at the end of everything.”

Thinking of Scott ruined her mood. Being forced apart by their own father felt like a constant thorn in her side. Juniper already send him some pics, though. They’d always spoken of visiting Omega together and now she was here and he wasn’t. 

Their drinks were refilled and she raised her glass. “You got any family, Elon?”

“Nah, last one of my kind.” Oh. Maybe the change of subject hadn’t been her best idea this evening. Juniper put her hand close to his. 

“And what’s the deal with you?”

He watched her fingers, touching them ever so slightly. “I’m just some washed up old military instructor, who tries to do something worthwhile for a change.”

“Not a fan of the Alliance then?” Better not mention that on board of their ship. Here on Omega he couldn’t be the only one, which harbored a distaste for the Alliance. 

“Depends. Not a fan of violence.”

“Me neither.” Fighting should always be the last line of defense. Juniper had trained to act as a mediator, talking, discussing. 

She met his gaze. “What do you like?”

Juniper saw the invitation in Elon’s eyes. She got up, climbed atop his lap, wrapped her arms around his neck. He smelled nice and his beard scratched her skin, as she whispered against his mouth.

“Take a wild guess, Elon.”


	11. wild heart

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> this gets very nsfw

Juniper needs this. Needs him. He’s the one, who makes her feel at home, safe, not as lost as she’s used to be. His hands are on her hips, coaxing her out of her clothing, scared from severe burns and yet very confident. She’s wriggling beneath his weight and moaning. There is a constant feel of need and heat between her legs and she presses herself against him, full body. With her breasts against his chest. 

“Elon.” His name a mere whisper on Juniper’s lips. 

He strokes her hair, lets his fingers wander, as if trying to draw a pictures on her cheeks and shoulders. “Tell me what you want.”

“You. Inside me.” Juniper had never been shy or afraid of voicing her needs and she won’t start now. Elon smiles and it tells her the story of his life and the loses and how he needs her too. A galaxy apart, they’re one now, and have all the time in the world. 

“You’re gorgeous.” Elon’s thumb circles her breasts, making her nipples hard, and there is a strange sensation in her legs and stomach. Almost like a strain, like being overused. Juniper leans in and rubs herself against him. 

“Don’t waste your breath.” She climbs atop of him, clothing long shed. Nothing left but skin and heated kisses. 

“Got enough left.”

“Hope so.” And he’s inside her. Hard, thick. Her arms are behind her back and it’s difficult to find the momentum, but she rocks her hips against his flesh and finds the sweet spot. He moans too. Deep, a throaty sound, almost sounding like his chuckle. Juniper may be in love. It’s hard to tell. She’d never felt anything like that. Everyone before him mere flings, men and women, aliens, humans. Elon feels right for once. 

Her fingers dug into his chest. All that hair and the muscles moving beneath her fingertips. Elon closes his eyes and bits his lips. Juniper has never seen anything as beautiful as this. She wants to cry, but can’t. 

There is silence and broken breathing, a hitch here and there, red splotches on her cheeks. Elon wraps his hands around her hips and she’s still in control and dictates the rhythm and she comes and comes again. Lightning behind her eyes and his taste on her tongue. Juniper starts to sweat and she feels her limbs growing weak and strong. Biotic energy sizzles her nerves and she drowns them in blue light.

She doesn’t let go and he finishes with a silly sound, which makes her smile. 

And then she kisses him, because it’s the right thing to do.

“Please, don’t leave.” Elon looks small beneath her body and his eyes are bright with something akin to love. Maybe something more. Shit. It happens. Just like this. Feelings. And time runs out for the both of them. The Initiative will separate them sooner or later. This isn’t right and yet the best thing in her life. 

“I’ll stay here.”

“Good.”


	12. crowns

“Scott!” Juniper nearly toppled over her brother, as she ran straight into him. 

Scott took a step backwards, while she tried to regain her balance with flailing arms. She took a deep breath and hugged him. Juniper’s skin seemed to bristle with energy and she managed to put an arm around his shoulder, though he was a head taller than her.

“I got something for you, but you have to close your eyes.”

Scott raised a brow. “Is it one of your special surprises?”

“Even better. Now close your eyes, dearest brother.” Surprisingly, he did. After years and years of receiving stones and other important pieces of dirt, he’d probably accepted his fate. Juniper waved her hand in front of his eyes. Scott didn’t react. Good. Quickly, she pulled out some sort of yellow paper thing, unfolded it, and put it atop of his head.

“Take a look.” She used a handy, little mirror that she’d carried around since Citadel days to show Scott his face. 

Her brother looked confused. Grimacing at the sight of himself. “What?”

Juniper reached up to touch the thin paper. “It’s a crown. Me and Avi were down on some vintage food shop and they gave them out for free. I had to get you one.” She’d also not eaten that much in quite a while and gained about three pounds thank to burgers and fries and some huge dessert. Her biotics would take care of it in a bit, but Avi had looked bit green in the face.

“Because?”

Juniper kissed his cheek. “Because you’re the king of brothers, of course.”

“In that case, I feel deeply honored.” 

Scott rolling his eyes and laughing, earned him a soft punch into his left shoulder. “You should be.”

“Of course, I’m the queen of sisters… so…” Juniper put a similar crown atop of her head, ignoring the weird looks some of the other recruits gave them. Their father would surely hear of it within the hour. Not that she cared much about his opinion on anything, especially on their precious hours of free-time.

Scott linked their arms. “Now we’re both space royalty.”

“Like in the old tales?”

“Yes.”


	13. hiding

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Elon and Juniper on their first date (strong language)

“You’re sure, we’re safe here?” Juniper ducked out of sight, after looking through the old shuttle’s windows and finding no one following them. Time to catch her breath then.

“Your guess is as good as mine, but not many people know about this place.” Elon sat down in one of cockpit chairs, taking up far too much room with his broad frame.

Juniper shoved him to the side. “Shit. That piece of trash is tight. Move.” She didn’t excactly know the shuttle’s class, but it seemed to be at least forty years out of service. Longer than she was alive. Fantastic. It smelled of dust and mold. Out of all the ship’s on this graveyard they’d decided to hide in this one and not some nice and clean pleasure cruiser.

“See anyone?”

Elon stretched his neck and shrugged. “No. Probably checking the other levels of the station.”

Her own sigh echoed throughout the vehicle. In such close proximity they had to sit shoulder to shoulder and she had no idea where to put her legs. Elon appeared utterly uncomfortable, which gave her a strange sort of satisfaction. “You know? I wanted us to have a normal date for once. Just you and me, no Scott, no father, and without the ever present feeling of doom of being put into cryosleep for hundreds of years.”

Juniper crossed her arms in front of her chest. She even opted to pout to make her point clearer.

“Hey, we had a date. Ate and everything.” Elon rubbed his neck.

“Until you had to start a cock fight with that Turian, who turned out to be a security officer.”

That got him. He grimaced. Probably having to deal with his own vivid imagination about interspecies cockfights. Elon mimicked her posture, arms crossed, a frown dominating his features. “He was off duty! Shouldn’t even be allowed to run around with that gun and he sad some nasty things about you.”

Of course. Juniper huffed. She’d never taken Elon for someone with a huge ego, who felt threatened by some dumb, and childish, comments. He was warm, though, through clothing and all. Damn him. “Elon, I can protect myself. You don’t have to play the hero. I grew up with Scott and had enough of that for a lifetime.” Juniper loved her brother more than her life, but from time to time he made her feel like some fragile piece of art, always ready to be broken and with the need of constant protection.

Elon put his hand up in defeat. “Look, I’m sorry. I wanted this night to be great.”

“Me too.”

Juniper swore to herself to be angry in silence a bit more, but she saw figures approaching the graveyard. “Ah shit. I see… fuck! Hide.” Juniper grabbed Elon by the hem of his shirt and pulled him down. It hurt. The whole shuttle seemed to be constructed for a single person, or maybe some Volus. She put her hand on his mouth and hoped that security hadn’t caught them on camera. Would be hard to explain that to Alec Ryder. Ruining the family reputation one step at a time.

Elon put his hand on her backside, looking rather smug.

“That’s not the time.” Well, she was on top of him, full body contact with her wearing an especially skimpy dress, which she’d bought for their very first date night.

He must have read the decision on her face, because his grin became wider. “Wouldn’t be so sure about that.”


	14. you did what

“You did what?” Elon didn’t even try to hide his confusion. He paced through their shared quarters, as if he tried to run away from something. Back too tense, arms moving around wildly. 

Juniper bit her lip. “Told my father about you?” 

Considering everything, maybe it hadn’t been the best decision of her life. Not with Alec Ryder being known for his outbursts and never owning the father of the year trophies or a Number #1 dad coffee mug. Not that he’d screamed at her or anything, but his silent stare seemed a lot more frightening. 

Elon sat down at her side, leaning back against the cushions. “Shit, I’m dead.”

“Yeah, probably. We should make a plan to get you off galaxy in the next hours.” With being hired as an engineer for the Andromeda Initiative it could cost Elon his job, life, future. 

Juniper took his hand, because she didn’t know what to do with her own. “Oh come on, don’t give me that look. He basically saw us making out.”

“Point taken.” Everybody else already knew, so subtlety wasn’t that high on her priority list. Not to mention that Alec barely spend his nights with the grunts in some bar or another and until yesterday, kissing and groping in some seedy corner had been safe. 

“At least it got Scott and him working together…”

Elon kissed her cheek and put his head on her shoulder. “Always the optimist.”

“Nah, not really. Just trying not to panic.” She heard the cogs in his head moving, trying to piece together a solution for their problem. 

“Why do they even … care?” He sighed. “No. That sounded wrong. You’re family and all.” Juniper wasn’t used to seeing him so much out of his comfort zone. Elon bled self confidence and nonchalance, which, at times, acted as a protective shield, but not right now and she felt her stomach drop.

The familiar scars on his hands offered a bit of comfort. So did his voice.“But like you’re an adult. You’ve seen many great and many bad things. You should be allowed to have a partner?”

She chuckled, ignoring the weight of the actual question. “Partner is it now?”

“Lover? You can also call me boyfriend.” Juniper saw the smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. Boyfriend? They hadn’t really talked about their relationship … at all. Or any definition of their preferred terms. Not that they’d ever used any form of pet names. 

“Ugh. Doesn’t sound appealing.”

He kissed her hand. “What should I call myself then?”

“How about Elon? I like your name.”

“And the rest of me?” Elon’s eyes looked bright and full of mischief and she kissed his nose.

“And the rest of you.”


	15. under the sun and moon

“Here you are. Already tired of your party?” Elon sat down at Juniper’s side, shoulders barely touching and legs stretched out in front of him. “They’re throwing it in your honor, you know?”

Shrugging, she continued to watch the arriving ships and the ones that left. Juniper’s legs dangled down the platform, probably breaking some regulation or another. “Got a bit stuffy in there and hearing a cheering crowd gets boring after a bit.”

A bottle appeared in her line of sight. Glorious, heavy glass filled with an amber liquid.

Juniper’s eyes widened. “You got beer?”

“The good stuff. Earth imported, 600 year old vintage.”

“Damn.” She could in fact remember the last time she’d shared a bottle of beer with someone and where it happened and the memory spoke of easier days and real sunshine and her brother laughing and making stupid jokes. Right now, Scott was nowhere to be seen. Neither was Cora and Juniper seemed pretty sure that the two of them celebrated in their own way. Not that she wanted to know the details.

Elon took a sip. “Do we drink to something?”

“Sure.”

“Not to you, of course. That would be lame and you’re already tired of hearing your name and congratulations on being the best Pathfinder, defeater of the scourge, hero of our civilization.” His lazy smile made her insides squirm. It’d been one of the first things she’d noticed about him, back in training and back when he was nothing more than a teacher. Talking about conflicted feelings and all. Luckily those days lay in a far away past.

Juniper answered with a laugh and took a sip herself. “Totally.” The beer tasted earthy and a bit too sweet to her liking, but she treasured every drop.

“Oh, I got something.” Elon moved closer and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. He smelled comforting, musk and oil and beer and harsh soap. And he felt impossible warm, even with the temperature of the Nexus regulated to fit every species’ needs. 

“Here is to us. May we’ll have beer under every sun and moon in the galaxy.”

“Shit, Elon. That sounded almost romantic.” Juniper patted his hand.

“I’m a guy of many talents.”

“That I know.” An Angaran cruiser landed. Without her and the help of her crew none of this would’ve happened. Juniper tried not to think about it too much, because she liked having a normal sized head. Celebrations seemed appropriate and also rather tiring and she hated the superficial smiles and the shaking of hands. 

They watched the departing Angarans in silence. No one seemed to notice the pair of humans sitting on the higher levels of the port, sharing a bottle of beer.

Juniper felt Elon’s eyes on her and his voice seemed quiet. “What’s next for us?”

“Don’t know. We’ll have to rescue the Quarians and the Drell, of course.” Surely not an easy task and one that she’d start in the morrow. She rubbed her neck. “And shit, mother. I have to wake mother up from cryo, once they found a cure for her illness.”

She blanched at the thought. Having her aboard the Arc seemed so surreal. One of her father’s best kept secrets and a final prove of his distrust towards his children. Mother. Juniper tried to wrap her head around the thought of having her back in her life and found nothing but fear and grief.

Elon, noticing the shift in her mood, inched even closer, head resting on her shoulder and eyes warm. His breath tickled her ear. “And here I was, happy to not have to endure another member of the Ryder family giving me the talk. Scott already did that. Many, many times.”

She chuckled, remembering when Scott did more than talk and beat Elon, because of some code of brotherly honor. 

“Scott loves hearing himself talk.”

“Oh, he does.” And she adored him for that. At times. Juniper smiled. “And don’t be afraid. I’ll protect you from her motherly wrath.”

Elon kissed her cheek. “You’ll keep me safe, I know.”


	16. having a talk

“Hey, mom.” Juniper’s mouth found glass. It felt cold beneath her lips. The steady hum of thousand cryo pods calmed her.

“How are you?” She sat on the ground and hugged her knees close to her chest. No one would dare to disturb her. No one even asked any more. Her weekly absences from the Tempest became a regularity. First, there had been questions, friendly concern from Liam and Peebee, a hug from Cora, a pat on the shoulders from Drack and some imported chocolate from Vetra. Not to mention a two hour star gazing session with Jaal, who talked about his own mothers and the importance of family.

“I know that you can’t hear me, but I like to pretend that you’re alright.” Juniper closed her eyes and remembered the voice of her mother. Throughout the years, fantasy and reality had merged.

“The asari are working on a cure, you know? Got help from the turians and salarians. It’s looking pretty good and you’ll be up in no time.”

Juniper licked her hips, regretting not having a drink before this. “It’ll be strange, I guess. You’re father’s last secret.” He’d never trusted his children enough. Kept his secrets to himself, seldom spoke of his wife. And Juniper hated him for that. Even his death didn’t make her whole again. She still carried a hole in her heart and a childish dream of his approval and love.

“Everything has changed so much. We’re not even in the same galaxy any more. Wait until you hear the story about the Archon and how I totally kicked his ass.” Juniper shook her head, remembering their last encounter. “I’m such a powerful biotic now. Finally able to control my powers and all. You’ve always scolded me for being irresponsible with them. We need to find other things to talk about now.” Would she believe her? It sounded strange. At least, there were vids of her heroics and the tales of her crew and allies.

“”And … I’m in love. For the first time.” Juniper chuckled. “Elon is a bit nervous, though, because Scott told him some stories about you.” Juniper would spare her the details of her twin punching him. 

“Remember when I brought that cute asari home? She seemed so impressed with you that she never spoke about dating me again and sent you flowers for about a month?” Some things just weren’t meant to be.

“But he’s nice. A bit gruff on the outside, but he’s a good one.” And he’d stayed at her side through everything. An engineer turned teacher, then lover and best friend. Sometimes his scarred hands had been the only thing keeping her together.

“We’ll have some dinner, wine, and a talk about the future. You’ll fit in just fine. So many bright minds have gathered here and it’ll be fun to show you all of our settlements. Humans have come such a long way.” Juniper hung her head. Ignoring her own tears and the lump in her throat.

“I hope, you’ll be proud of me.”


End file.
